Cartons



Jan. 26, ,1965 H. T. HAlLEY ETAL CARTONS 2 SheetsSheet 1 Filed Feb. 4, 1963 6/5 20 20 /5 2'0 /7 Fig/A Inventor;

n Ym E A L A M TM D M o H HiLDA E. nAiLeY By Jan. 26, 1965 HAILEY ETAL 3,167,235

CARTONS Filed Feb. 4, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventors HOWARD HAFLE'Y HI'LDA E. HAILEY By M A ttorney;

CARTONS Howard T. Hailey and Hilda E. Hailey, both of 77 Brayfield Road, Littleover, Derby, England Filed Feb. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 255,789 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Feb. 20, 1962, 6,437/ 62; May 1, 1962, 16,533 3 Claims. (Cl. 22929) This invention relates to cartons for use in the packaging of eggs or other light fragile articles.

The conventional box or carton for containing eggs for retail sale is a complete enclosure of the eggs, so that they are not visible. It is considered desirable that all the eggs shall be open to inspection in the cartons as exposed for sale, so that the purchaser and retailer can see that the eggs are undamaged and also inspect the colour and so forth. It is at the same time essential that the eggs shall be adequately protected against damage in transit in their cartons.

The objects of this invention are to provide cartons which will be strong and robust and yet have two fully open sides exposing the contents to view. A further object is to enable the cartons to be firmly and rigidly erected by creasing or folding from a one-piece blank of suitable carton sheet material. Further objects are to provide improved means of locating the carton parts in a fully closed or transport position while still allowing for the carton to be easily opened out hingedly as and when required.

In describing the invention and in the appended claims use will be made of such terms as top and bottom, back and front, vertical and horizontal. These terms are somewhat arbitrary. For convenience in description and to enable the nature of the invention to be more easily understood, terms have been chosen which appear most appropriate in relation to the position in which the carton is likely to be placed in use, that is to say when it is loaded with eggs and closed up.

The invention consists in a carton comprising a vertical back wall, a top wall and a bottom Wall each connected to the back wall and extending horizontally forwards therefrom, a downwardly turned portion at the front of the top wall, and an upwardly turned portion at the front of the bottom wall, at least one of these front portions having thereon extended formations engaging with the other front portion to hold them in position, two apertured horizontal walls extending in spaced parallel relation one from each of the said front portions, and further extended formations on each intermediate wall at the rear end thereof adjoining the back wall, by means of which said intermediate horizontal walls are located in position, the apertured horizontal walls serving to receive and locate eggs and like articles firmly in position between the top and bottom walls.

A constructional form of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURES 1, 1a are views of a carton blank in a flat condition, the figures being drawn in two parts in order to facilitate illustration, it being understood that the whole is in one piece.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the carton in an open position.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of the carton in its closed or transport condition, but omitting the contents for convenience in illustration.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-section on the line IV-IV of FIGURE 3.

The drawings show a carton for holding six eggs in two rows of three each, but it is to be understood that this United States Patent ice is described only as an example and that the cartons are not confined to the six-egg size.

The carton is of oblong shape, with its two long sides open, the two short sides being called the back and front Walls. It is made from a single blank of elongated rectangular shape, see FIGURE 1. The blank has eight creases, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, across it where it can be folded, the creases being, parallel with its ends and at right angles to its long sides. Using these creases it can be folded successively at to form a back wall 10, top and bottom walls 11, 12 respectively extending from the back wall 10 forwardly, an upper part 13 of a front wall extending downwards from the top 11, a lower part 14 of a front wall extending upwards from the bottom 12, an upper intermediate wall 15 extending rearwardly from the lower edge of the top part 13 of the front wall, and a lower intermediate wall 16 extending rearwardly from the upper edge of the bottom part 14 of the front wall, an inner back portion 17 extending upwards from the upper intermediate wall 15 and another inner back portion 18 extending downwards from the lower intermediate wall 16. The extremities of these inner back portions 17, 18 abut respectively against the top and bottom walls 11 and 12. and are flush with the back wall Ill, so providing a very robust and rigid end to the carton. The two intermediate walls 15, 16 each have six registering apertures 20 in them of circular or near-circular shape. Six eggs can thus be inserted and located in the apertures before the carton is fully closed up as can be clearly seen from FIGURE 2. The two rear apertures (or if preferred the two middle ones) in the lower intermediate wall 16 are not fully punched out, the cut portions being left still joined up with the lower intermediate wall 16 by unpunched parts 21, and these portions are shaped to serve as supporting feet 22 when turned downwards, and these engage in between upturned tabs 23 partly punched out in the bottom wall 12, by which arrangement the lower intermediate wall 16 is very firmly supported and located in position. The top part 13 of the front wall has extended parts 25 formed from the punched apertures 20 nearest the front end of the upper intermediate wall 15, which are similarly left with unpunched portions. These extended parts comprise the near-circular part 25 with a narrower part 25* uniting it with the part 13 and another similarly shaped tab-like extended part 25 These extended parts project downwards from the upper part 13 of the front wall vertically and tuck into dovetailed slots 27 formed as forward extensions from the two apertures 20 nearest the front end of the lower intermediate wall 16. The front of the carton is thus firmly held and adequately stiffened by these inter-engaging portions. At the rear end of the two intermediate walls the lower part 18 and upper part 17 are flush with the back wall 10 and the two punched parts 30 forming the apertures 20 nearest the back end of the upper intermediate wall 15 are left joined up along their rear edges at 31; these are folded downwards from the upper intermediate wall flush with the back wall and between it and the part 18 of the lower intermediate wall.

It will be seen that the inter-engaging extended formations and other parts functioning to effect closure and give support can all be formed out of the punched apertures which receive the eggs, so that the whole can be produced from a single blank, using conventional creasing, folding and punching techniques.

The cartons may be formed from any suitable material but double-faced fine-flute corrugated board is particularly adapted for the purpose, since it possesses both rigidity and cushioning properties in a high degree.

By comparing FIGURES 2 and 3 it will be seen that the crease or fold 4 where the bottom 12 adjoins the back 10 serves as a hinge, where I including the walls 11, 15,,can be openedup relatively to the bottom half including the walls 12, 16. FIGURE The design of the carton-provides a good surface for attractive printing or labelling, and when, the eggs have been placed in it the whole can be wrapped in afilm of transparent. material, still further enhancing 'its ap pearance and giving added security. r

We claim: 7 j 1. A carton comprising a vertical 'back wall, ,a top wall and a bottom wall each connected to the back wall and extending horizontally forward therefrom, a downwardly. turned portion at the front of thetop wall, and an' up wardly turned portion at the front of the bottom wall,

the top halfof the carton lama-235 the back wall and thefront :2 shows the-positionwhich the parts wou ld assume as the eggs were about to be inserted or removed; FIGURE 3 shows the closed or transportpos'itiona wall and a'bottom wall each connected to, the backwall "i and extending horizontally forwardstherefrom, a downat least one of these front portions having thereon ex- I tended formations engaging with the other front portiori' tohold them in position, twoapertured intermediate walls extending horizontally in spaced parallel relation one from v each of the said front portions, and further extended formediate wallsserving to receive and locate eggs and like articles firmly in position between the top and bottom ,mations on each intermediate wall at the rearend thereof adjoining the back wall, by which said intermediate horizo'ntal walls are located in position, the a'pertured; inter-125'- w'ardly turned portion at the'front of the top wall, and an upwardlyturned portion .at the front of the bottom. wall, at leastone of these'front portions having thereon extended formationsengagingwith'the other front portion to hold theminposition, two apertured vintermediate walls extending horizontally in spaced-parallel relation one fromheach of, the saidfront portions, and further extended formations on each intermediate wall atth e rear end thereof adjoining the back wall, by which said intermediate horizontal walls are located in positions, the apertured intermediate walls, servingtoreceive and locate eggs and the like articlesfirmly in position between-the top 'an'dfbottomf walls,-"the carton also having leg-like walls, the carton alsohavingdownwardly turned, feet on g I 1 the, lower intermediate wall, and upwardly turned tabs on the bottom wall,- the feet engaging in between the tabs, extensions on the downwardly turned portioni at the front of the top .wall, the front endof the lower intermediate wall having slots, the extensions engaging in the: slots,

downward extensions on the rear end of the upper inter- I mediate wall,'.said extensions fitting 'flush between'the back wall and the downwardly extended formation at the rear of the lower intermediate wall, the tabs, the feet, and all the extensions being formed by punched'out portions connected with the several walls and all formed out of a single blank, by suitable creasing and folding,"

2. A'carton comprising a single blank of an elongated rectangular shape and having; transverse fold creases defininganoblong top wall, an oblong bottom wall, two oblong intermediate walls, aback wall and a'front wall, all located so that the top and bottom walls and the ttwo intermediate walls'are held in spaced parallel relationship by the back and front walls to which they are connected,

extensions onthedownwar dly turned portionat the. front of the itop wallfiincludinga circular body part and a .narrower foot lpart ,-and.the front end of the lower intermediate wall having dovetailslots', opening intocircular apertures ofthelbwer intermediate ,wall, the" leg-like 7/02 Palmer et al. 915,294 3/09 Hilliker; 2-2929 I 1,161,652 11/15 Gavin 229-29 1,940,292 lZ/33fBueschel 229-'-29' 72, 170,723 18/39' "Marx; I, 7

2,784,839: *3/57 'omer 206-65 2,955,736 10/60 lAnnen 229-28 extensions engaging'and locking intsaid' slots by passing 7 the circular body parts through the circular apertures. 35 i References: Cited by-the Examiner 4 UNITED STATES PATENTS F NKLIN r} GARRETT, Printary Examiner,

EARLE LDRUMMQND, Examiner, 

1. A CARTON COMPRISING A VERTICAL BACK WALL, A TOP WALL AND A BOTTOM WALL EACH CONNECTED TO THE BACK WALL AND EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY FORWARD THEREFROM, A DOWNWARDLY TURNED PORTION OF THE FRONT OF THE TOP WALL, AND AN UPWARDLY TURNED PORTION OF THE FRONT OF THE BOTTOM WALL, AT LEAST ONE OF THESE FRONT PORTIONS HAVING THEREON EXTENDED FORMATIONS ENGAGING WITH THE OTHER FRONT PORTION TO HOLD THEM IN POSITION, TWO APERTURED INTERMEDIATE WALLS EXTENDING HORIZONTALLY IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION ONE FROM EACH OF THE SAID FRONT PORTIONS, AND FURTHER EXTENDED FORMATIONS ON EACH INTERMEDIATE WALL AT THE REAR END THEREOF ADJOINING THE BACK WALL, BY WHICH SAID INTERMEDIATE HORIZONTAL WALLS ARE LOCATED IN POSITION, THE APERTURED INTERMEDIATE WALLS SERVING TO RECEIVE AND LOCATE EGGS AND LIKE ARTICLES FIRMLY IN POSITION BETWEEN THE TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS, THE CARTON ALSO HAVING DOWNWARDLY TURNED FEET ON THE LOWER INTERMEDIATE WALL, AND UPWARDLY TURNED TABS ON THE BOTTOM WALL, THE FEET ENGAGING IN BETWEEN THE TABS, EXTENSION ON THE DOWNWARDLY TURNED PORTION AT THE FRONT OF THE TOP WALL, THE FRONT END OF HE LOWER INTERMEDIATE WALL HAVING SLOTS, THE EXTENSIONS ENGAGING IN THE SLOTS, DOWNWARD EXTENSIONS ON THE REAR END OF THE UPPER INTERMEDIATE WALL, SAID EXTENSIONS FITTING FLUSH BETWEEN THE BACK WALL AND THE DOWNWARDLY EXTENDED FORMATION AT THE REAR OF THE LOWER INTERMEDIATE WALL, THE TABS, THE FEET, AND ALL THE EXTENSIONS BEING FORMED BY PUNCHED OUT PORTIONS CONNECTED WITH THE SEVERAL WALLS AND ALL FORMED OUT OF A SINGLE BLANK, BY SUITABLE CREASING AND FOLDING. 